http://blogs.zdnet.com/micro-markets/?p=636









Google $20 billion Audio Ads: Not a radio test! Posted by Donna Bogatin
@ 4:25 am

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UPDATE: "Google $20 billion radio chatter"

Google spokesperson Michael Mayzel told me last week that Google is:

Planning on releasing a beta version of Google Audio Ads by the end of
the year.

Contrary to Google's latest stab at trying to place ads in print media
(see Google's $48 billion Print Ads test: Fourth time's the
charm?), Google can not afford to "fail" three times in its designs on
the $20 billion radio advertising market; Google has already invested
more than $100 million in radio via its dMarc Broadcasting acqusition
earlier in the year.

In "SWMX Radio vs. Google? SWMX COO talks 'The Real Deal' in
exclusive interview" I discuss the high-stakes radio advertising bet
Google is making with dMarc and competition Google faces.

Industry insiders are not convinced that Google's dominance in online
search advertising is easily duplicated in the radio advertising
market.

Bill Figenshu, Chief Operating Officer, SWMX SoftWave Media Radio,
spoke with me about competing against Google in the radio advertising
space:

we sure can't outspend them, so we'll just have to out-think them...

We are successfully competing with them, in fact, we are substantially
ahead of them in stations, sales, and innovation. Having enough money
to buy a small country is not enough...

This is a full time job for us. We don't do "search", hold auctions, or
dabble in other businesses.

Figenshu believes the Google Audio Ads radio model is inherently
flawed:

Unlike SWMX with an online "opt-in" platform. Google requires a "box"
in the station to deliver commercials. If you were a station manager,
would you allow Google to place equipment into your station? We think
not.

READ ENTIRE SOFTWAVE MEDIA INTERVIEW

I recently underscored Google's inability to achieve its grandiose
offline ambitions: